by John F Kettley | Sep 24, 2026 | Uncategorized
You win a good customer, agree a price that works for both sides and start building the relationship. Over the years the relationship gets stronger, which is exactly what you want, but while that’s happening quite a lot can change in the background. Wages go...
by John F Kettley | Sep 7, 2026 | Exit Strategy, Leadership, SMEs
How Experienced Buyers Assess a Business Before Opening the Accounts If you ask most business owners what a buyer looks at first, the answer is usually the same. “The accounts.” It’s an understandable assumption. Financial performance is important. Revenue, profit,...
by John F Kettley | Aug 17, 2026 | Exit Strategy, Leadership, SMEs
One of the questions I’ve been asked more than any other over the years is, “What do you think my business is worth?” It’s usually followed by a conversation about turnover and how great their sales opportunity pipeline is (Next year will be our best year ever). They...
by John F Kettley | Aug 12, 2026 | Exit Strategy, Leadership, SMEs
Business owners often ask me what they should be doing if they want to sell their business in the next couple of years. It’s a sensible question, but I don’t think it’s the right place to start.The businesses that achieve the strongest outcomes are very rarely...
by John F Kettley | Jul 22, 2026 | Exit Strategy
When business owners hear the phrase exit planning, the conversation often starts in the wrong place. People think about valuations, tax planning, legal documents and negotiations. Those are all important, but they come much later than most people realise. Long before...
